


Those Who Save Themselves

by for_t2



Category: Original Work
Genre: Alternate Universe, Apocalypse, Blood, Dark Fantasy, Demons, Druids, Evil, F/F, Fear, Horror, Murder, Neuromancer References, Seduction to the Dark Side, Temple, The Colour Red, Urban Fantasy, saving people
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-09
Updated: 2021-03-09
Packaged: 2021-03-16 10:03:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,300
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29948337
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/for_t2/pseuds/for_t2
Summary: The world was ending, and the only place Afon could think of running to was empty
Relationships: Original Female Character/Original Female Character
Comments: 2
Kudos: 2





	Those Who Save Themselves

The sky above the city was the colour of a television set turned to blood. It wasn’t just red, it wasn’t just dark, it was melting, dripping down onto the skyscrapers with an acrid stench, burning its way down to the pavement and staining the skin of the bodies left to be devoured on the streets.

It was suffocating.

It was the end of the world.

And, as all apocalypses went, it was the start of a new world. A world that had only been around for a few hours, even if the clocks didn’t work as well now that the sun had been ripped out of the sky, but a world that absolutely terrified Afon.

It terrified everyone, of course, and everyone reacted in different ways. Some people stood still in shock on their doorsteps, not even moving when the… the things (Afon didn’t have a better word for them) came swooping down to tear out their throats. Some people reached for their knives (or their guns, if they were among the few who had one) and tried to tear out as many of the things’ throats as possible. It didn’t work, of course (not all the things even had throats), but that just seemed to make those people try even harder. In the end, those people were the ones that screamed the loudest. And some people tried to be brave, gathering together their families and friends and neighbours and trying to put together a plan and to find a way out (or, at least, a way back).

The sky came for those people too.

And the sky came for Afon too. She had been asleep when the sun first trembled, and at first, she had thought it was just another nightmare. But shutting her eyes couldn’t block out the red, nor could pulling the blankets over her head. And when the TV picked up no signals and the phone line beeped dead, she had tried barricading her apartment door and slamming her curtains shut.

But that didn’t stop the red from leaking in. Nor did it stop the sounds coming from the corridor outside, nor the sounds scratching against her window.

So she ran.

And she ran to the only place that seemed logical in an apocalypse.

But the temple doors opened too easily. And the benches that greeted her were empty.

Empty.

“He… Hello?” She wasn’t the only believer in the city. She wasn’t the only believer in her apartment block. Far from it. And if the world was ending, where else were they supposed to go? “Hello?”

The temple shouldn’t have been empty. It shouldn’t have been.

Afon winced as her footsteps echoed off the stone walls and winced again when she realised she had almost shouted. That she wanted to shout. If there wasn’t anyone here, it must be because they were hiding. The temple would be a good place to hide. Thick walls, lots of underground crypts, a close community. It would be the best place to hide, and she didn’t want her clumsiness to draw any of the things to them.

But the temple stayed empty.

They must have found a way out of the city. Of course they would, that would be anyone’s top priority. It was the rational priority. If anyone could figure a way out, it would be a druids. They tell people to meet in the temple and they take out as many people as they could in one go, then they’d come back.

So Afon just had to wait for them to come back.

She just wait.

Just wait.

But it didn’t make the temple any less empty.

It didn’t stop the red from bleeding in through the stained glass.

Afon just had to wait.

She just had to-- 

“You know they’re gone, right?”

Afon jumped at the voice behind her.

At the woman sitting on the altar, mouth stretched thin. “Did you hear me? They’re gone.”

“They…” Afon almost ran. Stammered as her instincts told her to run. “What?”

The woman let out a tsk. “It’s the end of the world, and they’re gone.” She didn’t seem to care that Afon flinched at the anger in her voice. “They abandoned this place the moment it started.”

“They…” Afon was repeating herself. “They didn’t. They wouldn’t. You’re lying.”

“Why?” The woman’s voice rose and Afon almost interrupted her to try and get her to shut up. “What good would that do? It’s the end of the world, not a fucking board game.”

“You have to be lying.” She had to be. “You…” Afon got the strangest feeling in the pit of her gut. A feeling that made her stumble backwards. “You’re one of them, aren’t you? You’re one of the things.”

The woman wasn’t impressed. “Do I look like one of the things?”

“You’re one of them!”

She sighed. “You weren’t the first person to come here, you know that, right?” Picked up one of the flowers off the altar and twirled it in her hands. “You’re not the only person who thought they would save you.”

Afon tried to quieten her stomach. Tried to sound more confident than she was. “Somebody has to save us.”

“Who?” The woman scoffed. “Did you think the druids would because they’re some type of moral authority? Do you think the city guard will because they’re an authority with guns? Do you think the government will because they’re an authority with paperwork?” She scoffed again. “Who did you think was going to come save you?”

“I… I don’t know.” Afon was going to throw up. The world was ending and she was going to throw up. “There has to be a plan.”

“Oh, there was.” The woman smiled saracastically. “Run like hell and hope that hell’s too slow to catch up with you. And if anyone slows you down…” Waved with her fingers. “Bye bye.”

“But…”

“If I’m lying, then where are they?” The woman spread her arms wide and the temple stayed empty. “If they’re coming for you, how long are you going to wait for them?”

Afon shut her eyes. Managed not to throw up. “As long as I—”

Something banged on the door.

Something loud.

Something that kept banging.

“Shhh.” The woman grabbed Afon the moment she stumbled backwards towards the altar. Pulled her in tight, her arm curled around the hollow of Afon’s neck. “Shhh.”

The woman was strong. Afon couldn’t get out of her grip. And the banging kept slamming against the door. Afon whimpered. “What are you doing?”

The women’s fingers tapped against Afon’s chest. “You came here to be saved, didn’t you?” She hummed approvingly when Afon nodded. “Let me tell you why one of the druids didn’t run.”

The banging kept getting louder. “What?”

The woman rested her chin on top of Afon’s head. Hummed again. “One druid didn’t run because she figured out what the demons wanted.”

There was so much red. Too much red. “What do they want?”

“The only thing a demon ever wants.” Something heavy thudded against the doors. Something heavy enough to force the wood to bend. To crack. “More demons.”

The doors cracked. Afon squirmed to get out of the woman’s arms. The doors cracked even more. The woman held on tight. Finally, the doors crashed open.

And in stumbled a small group of people. A family, maybe. A couple of families, maybe, carrying nothing but panting to catch their breaths. “Help us!” Their eyes wide with fear. “We’ve got injured! Please help us!”

Afon couldn’t move.

“Shh.” The woman whispered soothingly, lips warm against Afon’s ear, as she reached down to take Afon’s hand. As she curled Afon’s fingers around a blood-stained knife. As she gave Afon a small push towards the families. “Let me save you.”


End file.
